Chlorine dioxide is known to be a disinfectant as well as a strong oxidizing agent. The bactericidal, algaecidal, fungicidal, bleaching and deodorizing properties of chlorine dioxide also are well known.
Chlorine dioxide in low concentrations such as up to 1,000 ppm is generally useful for the treatment of odors and microbes. Chlorine dioxide is commonly used as a disinfectant or fumigant in a number of applications and environments. Chlorine dioxide may function without the formation of undesirable side products such as chloramines or chlorinated organic compounds that can be produced when elemental chlorine is utilized. Thus, chlorine dioxide is particularly useful, for example, for the control of microbes and/or organic deodorants on and around food products during and after the packaging process. In addition, chlorine dioxide gas is considered to be safe for human contact at the low concentrations that are effective for deodorization and for most antimicrobial applications.
However, the chlorine dioxide gas can be toxic to humans at concentrations greater than 5 ppm, and it can be explosive at partial pressures of above 0.1 atmosphere. Therefore, chlorine dioxide gas is generally not manufactured and shipped under pressure like other industrial gases, and on-site manufacturing methods require not only expensive equipment, but also high levels of operator skill to avoid generating dangerously high concentrations.